Springboro engineering firm to start $2.5M expansion project

A tool and die engineering firm in Springboro is making a major facility expansion and investment in equipment to begin manufacturing its own tool and die parts.

Alfons Haar, based in Hamburg, Germany, designs systems for the manufacturing of metal closures, such as metal twist-off caps for pickle jars, or easy-open tops for canned foods. The company is embarking on a $2.5 million project to expand its facility and bring its manufacturing operations in-house.

“We’re so busy right now that we’ve decided to start manufacturing our own parts so that we have better control of our operation,” said John Dunn, general manager for the Springboro location, which is the company’s only U.S. operation.

Dunn said the company has been engineering and designing the dies for the closure systems, and outsourcing the manufacturing, but now it will be able to do its own assembly.

Bruns Contracting Group is doing the construction of the 8,000-square-foot expansion, which will cost about $500,000, said Mike Caughell, executive vice president/general manager for Bruns.

The rest of the investment, which Alfons Haar is self-financing, will go into the manufacturing equipment, Dunn said.

To support the growth, Dunn said the company will be hiring between five and 10 new precision tool and die makers. It currently has 22 employees. The company will probably post the job openings in the early spring.

“We just haven’t seen a recession,” Dunn said. “We’ve continued to grow in employees.”